


Feeling So Energetic

by heartykeykeke



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Coffee addicts, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Ong hottie, OngNiel is science, Ongniel, Romance, Slow Burn, Writer ong, blind dating, caramel macchiattos are the bomb, coffee shop AU, cult of ongniel, daniel barista, one-sided crush turns mutual, scientists rule, warm and fuzzy, whipped puppy daniel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-26 22:21:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16690018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartykeykeke/pseuds/heartykeykeke
Summary: Daniel is a barista who keeps working on Saturdays so that he can see his secret crush, a customer and freelance writer Seongwoo. They flirt and converse, but Daniel knows Seongwoo doesn't come for him. Besides the sweet caramel macchiattos he favors, he comes there for blind dates, searching for the perfect girl to marry. Will Daniel forever be whipped and pining over a straight man?





	Feeling So Energetic

It was Saturday. Daniel’s favorite day of the week. If anyone asked him why he was smiling so much from Saturday morning despite being one of the unlucky employees to have to spend it at the Closer café instead of on a date or with friends like most others did, he merely chuckled and said, ‘I guess I’m just high.’ His coworkers would raise their eyebrows or act startled, thinking that Daniel was admitting that he was using drugs, which was extremely illegal in their country. Then, he would go on to add, ‘high on life,’ like it was the wittiest line in existence. His coworkers would just roll their eyes and respond with ‘so typical choding Daniel, such a wierdo’ or something similar.

The truth was there was this face that he could only see on Saturdays that made him feel suddenly full of joy, his heart race, and to become light headed as if he were really high. That was Ong Seongwoo, the infamous up and coming writer. Daniel’s choice of drug. He came every Saturday since the beginning of Spring along with the budding periwinkle blossoms to brighten his day.

He wasn’t coming to see him though, unfortunately. On the contrary, Seongwoo came here for his scheduled blind dates, writing here and there on his notepad in between.

His routine was standard for the most part. He would set down his black leather bag and remove his pastel cardigan, pushing up his round, golden, oversized glasses and straightening his wind tossed, soft brunette hair that was much too long in the front and went frequently into his chocolatey, doe-like eyes. The tall, well proportioned, model-like man would then come to the counter and order a warm caramel macchiato—the only difference was sometimes he got it with an extra espresso shot or extra milk depending on his mood.

Daniel would take his order, always with a Sinhan bank credit card with his unusual yet pretty name written in silver plating in the corner—Ong Seongwoo. His name was as special as he was, signature like the constellation clusters of freckles on his cheek even foundation couldn’t hide. Daniel had seen that card so many times that if he wanted he could even use it to shop online because he had the front numbers unconsciously memorized. He wasn’t that sort of awful person, but Seongwoo certainly seemed like the sort of overly trustworthy, innocent person that would get scammed a lot so he probably wouldn’t be phased if that happened.

They would exchange the same soft, friendly smiles that grew warmer and bigger with each time they met. Daniel didn’t hide that he was pleased to see Seongwoo was back—it was his customer service that made him famous and guaranteed lots of customers had reasons to come on the days he was around in particular. It was good to see that he was doing a proper job. Seongwoo seemed a bit sheepish and embarrassed whenever Daniel asked if he wanted the usual, conscious of the fact that Daniel remembered him and his order.

It wasn’t that Daniel had a fantastic memory like Seongwoo had once commented on. It was more that Daniel noticed and went out of his way to remember things about Seongwoo in particular. Because Seongwoo was interesting and special since the day he had first met him. That he had three freckles on his left cheek, that he pushed up on the tip of his nose with the back of his index finger before and after he sneezed, that his glasses were too heavy so they often slipped down his sculpted nose, that he always wore a t-shirt, skinny jeans, reebok sneakers, and a soft colored cardigan over his small frame, that he played with his hair when he felt self-conscious, uncomfortable or nervous, and also that strangely he wrote his stories and poems on a small, rectangular, spiral notepad that had a painting of Van Gogh’s Starry Night on it instead of some fancy laptop.

Just like with other customers, Daniel chit-chatted about movies, dramas, music, the weather, the cherry blossom viewing festivals going on, and other random things as he made his coffee. With Seongwoo, he tended to ask more questions than he talked himself because he enjoyed the man’s voice. It was soft, gentle, and airy like he should be on the radio. It was incredibly soothing and pleasant and if he heard it at night he bet that he would fall asleep.

The way that he talked, stuck out his lips, made funny noises, blinked with both of his eyes shutting for several seconds, and gestured a lot to emphasize his feelings and descriptions—there wasn’t a thing about Seongwoo that wasn’t adorable. He reminded Daniel of different animals depending on the day—mostly a cat but occasionally a squirrel and most definitely a seal when he gave a close-mouthed smile and the edges of his thin lips curved up into his fluffy cheeks, making the tiniest dimple rings.

Ong Seongwoo was the definition of uwu and every Saturday that he showed up made Daniel happier and entertained than any other weekend plans he might have had. That was why Saturday made him feel ‘high on life’ and he was never upset even from early morning despite he didn’t sleep much because he had been up playing games with his friends.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

That particular Saturday was different in several ways. For one, Seongwoo was dressed in only a black T-shirt. For two, his glasses were gone, his pretty eyes commanding stares and head turns from random customers as he walked to his table. For three, his hair was styled in a wave halfway down his forehead in the trendy ‘comma’ style. He looked hotter than ever as if he had just stepped out of Vogue or off a high-fashion runway.

He’s really trying to impress today, these girls must be some very catchable fish then, Daniel thought with a smirk as he watched him.

Seongwoo came to the counter, scratching behind his ear and looking oddly self-conscious. Daniel figured that he must be nervous about if Daniel noticed he looked different or would say something about his new look.

“Hey, Ongie. Good morning. You look handsome. Special day?” He greeted warmly, going up as close to the counter as he could and seriously wishing that it wasn’t there so he could pat the guy on his thin, bony shoulders.

Seongwoo’s thinness just came from the fact that he was tall and naturally slim. His proportions were perfect and he obviously didn’t care for dieting if he was drinking sugary, milky concoctions with the highest calories several times in one day. Seongwoo nervously scratched at his hair with a sheepish smile and nervous laugh.

“Ah, not really. It’s just warmer today and I felt like dressing up.”

“Hmm, is that so? Well, it suits you.”

“Does it? It still feels awkward after so long of one style. Thanks…”

There was a silence that was comfortable despite they were practically strangers still. Somehow it never felt like that to Daniel. Daniel knew a lot about Seongwoo—he was famous, after all, and Daniel was a master at using sites like Wikipedia.

As for himself, well Daniel told a lot whenever Seongwoo asked him questions so he knew lots of things about him as well. Such as his tastes in music, movies, his favorite foods, colors, seasons, beverages, what his hobbies were and much more.

The barista and regular customer could almost say they were friends. They just hadn’t gone the extra step to ask for each other’s number or hang out outside of their interactions at this counter or while Daniel was cleaning the tables up during the less busy hours. As the manager, he could take a break whenever he wanted and sometimes on his way to the bathroom or the break room he would stop by Seongwoo’s usual sofa area in the dimmest, coziest corner of the room (that also happened to be in earshot of the speakers which were playing songs from Daniel’s favorite café ambience selections) to have a random chat and ask about what he was working on. Seongwoo didn’t like giving spoilers, but to Daniel he did on occasion, if he asked the right kind of questions.

“What can I get for you today, author-nim? The usual? Or will there be more shocking changes?” he quipped brightly.

“There you go with the author-nim bit. Please no~” Seongwoo chuckled, then pushed up the center of his scrunched up, cute nose with an elegant, pale finger.

Daniel noticed how clean, polished, soft-looking his hands were, tempted as usual when he saw them to just reach out and caress them to see what they really felt like. Sometimes he did—but only with the credit card between them as the perfect excuse to get away with a crime that his loyalist, possessive fans might consider a felony. He had only ever grazed the writer’s masterful, god-sent finger tips and they had been smooth as silk and a bit cool.

Seongwoo was in the middle of ordering when he stopped to sneeze, his whole frail body bending forward with the power of it. Daniel bit back a laugh, not wanting to make the man feel further embarrassed. His ears were red he noticed as Seongwoo pressed on his nose again, his eyes slightly teary before he did that odd, cat-like blink.

Daniel pinched himself not to coo out loud about how freaking cute every single bit of that moment was. That also was a daily occurrence during their interactions. He knew that he was whipped and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Just look at the guy, how could anyone not be? He wasn’t the only one among the café workers who were jealous that he was the closest. Because he bombarded the counter when Seongwoo came in.

“Sorry about that.”

“It’s no problem. Must be hard having a pollen allergy right now,” he responded with a look of sympathy, wishing he could wipe under the author’s nose with a tissue.

Seongwoo sniffled, tearing up some more. Daniel fanned his face, making Seongwoo shyly laugh. The grapefruit color of his ears turned cherry. Daniel smiled brightly, his bunny teeth sticking out and a bright laugh escaping him in response.

He was a person that laughed a lot without much stimuli, but Seongwoo’s smiles and laughs were incredibly contagious. Somehow everything the man did or said got a reaction from him that even comedians couldn’t fully succeed in.

The barista noticed that his female coworker, Sora, was giving him a look like he was such an obvious, lovestruck fool and he better give some more of his cut of tips to her in order for her to be silent this time. He winked to her from an angle that Seongwoo wouldn’t be able to see. He didn’t want him to misunderstand as he had gone long past his female phase and admitted to his own gayness. Which he had at first sensed from Seongwoo but it turned out his radar was likely wrong considering he was blind dating two to three times every weekend.

“It’s killing me honestly. Look at my nose.” The writer pouted as he pointed to it.

Daniel hummed and pouted back in sympathy. “Right, it’s all red. Poor guy. You should take meds.”

“I am, of course. Otherwise I would be stuck at home with a towel over my eyes buried in a mountain of used tissues looking like a beggar.”

“You’re so funny.”

Daniel covered his mouth out of habit, holding his gut as he laughed hard to the point customers and his coworkers stared at him in concern or reprimand. Seongwoo smiled proudly and his cheeks pinkened which just made him positively glow like a fallen angel.

“I’ll take an iced Americano.”

“Neh? Did I just hear the words ‘iced Americano’ come out of our precious sweet-tooth author-nims lips? Why? Now that really has got me shocked. You know that it’s super bitter compared to what you are used to, right?” Daniel advised against it with a doubtful, concerned tone, his caterpillar eyebrows furrowing and his plush, cherry tinted lips pursing.

He thought for just a moment that Seongwoo might have glanced there before he looked away as if showing off his ridiculously handsome model-like profile in the middle of a photoshoot. He must be delusional—Seongwoo was straight.

Seongwoo cleared his throat in a gesture as if he were trying to appear cool. “I just thought it looks pretty cool when guys drink it. It’s trendy, you know? So, I thought I would try it again. See if I can get used to it.”

Daniel chuckled as he put in the order number, thinking ‘I doubt it highly.’ “One iced Americano coming up, as you wish. It’s your hard-earned money to waste. That will be 3, 000 won minused from your account today.”

Seongwoo’s mouth dropped and dark, eyes heavily lashed so he looked like he was permanently wearing eye liner bugged out. “Woah, it’s much cheaper.”

Daniel stopped himself from teasing the naïve, middle aged writer who seemed to know so little about the modern world, just barely. “Because there’s nothing extra. Just espresso and water.”

“Ah, well that sounds…good, very good. I’ll enjoy it.” Seongwoo’s expression and tone suggested he was already doubting and regretting his life choices.

Daniel took his usual card, smirking as their fingers brushed and he dared to keep the contact going just two seconds longer than he usually would. Due to Seongwoo’s cherry-like eyes slightly widening to an even more frightening size, Daniel knew that he had noticed as well. He rang up the order and ripped the receipt like he wasn’t at all fazed, though inside his dramatic drag queens were having a fiesta while getting drunk on glasses full of sangria with those paper mini umbrellas inside.

“You can put some syrup inside it to make it bearable. It’s really bitter, I should warn you. Especially our house blend,” Daniel advised.

Seongwoo proved to be stubborn—cute. Daniel liked him even more in that moment, which he hadn’t guessed was possible. “I can handle it, I’m sure. I’m a man’s man. I don’t like artificial sweetener anyway. It’s unhealthy.”

 _And caramel syrup and milk that’s high in fat is huh_ , Daniel thought with amusement, biting back another laugh. He was trying not to tease him too much, worried that the other wouldn’t like it and get annoyed. His Saturdays would go back to how they used to be absolutely miserable if Seongwoo wasn’t coming here. That’s why Daniel secretly wished his blind dates continued to be unsuccessful, even if they were painful to watch. He needed his weekly dose of his crush, Seongwoo—it gave him the energy he needed to get through the grueling week.

“How has your week been going? Is your hand still hurting?”

Daniel showed off his healed hand, touched by the other’s memory and concern. He had hurt it a few weeks ago while he was doing his modern dance classes and had to have it bandaged a bit. He recalled how Seongwoo had been surprisingly concerned, referring him to doctors and insisting that he should really take time off work until he was better or at least try to serve coffee only using one hand. As if that were possible.

It had made Daniel’s heart flutter terribly and that’s the moment he had realized he was truly a goner for Ong Seongwoo. Not that he had the guts/stupidity to confess to a straight man who was in the middle of searching for a wife, for God’s sake. He had taken time off from playing games though so that it could heal faster and stop Seongwoo from looking at it with worry as he made his coffee every weekend.

“All better. I’m actually a healer, keep it between us,” Daniel responded low and proud.

“Right, sure.”

Seongwoo smirked with an impish twinkle in his radiant eyes. Daniel got distracted counting his numerous, spindly eye lashes that he forgot that he should be making his drink by now, especially as there was now another customer behind the man.

“Life’s been good. Dancing every other day after my shift’s up. Gaming and drawing in my free time. I read your latest update. The short story about Shu Shu, your dog I think? It was really great. Comical and sweet and realistic. Super easy to visualize. I’m a cat lover myself. I have four at home. Rooney, Peter, Ori and Zhang. My little sisters. I’ve always been sort of scared of dogs. I got bit by one when I was a toddler and I’ve had a bit of a trauma in regards to them since then. The way that you wrote about Shu Shu though. He seems so smart and sweet and fun. It got me thinking, maybe I should at least go to a dog café once or twice. Get over my fears. Maybe dogs aren’t so bad if they’re like Shu Shu, that’s what I thought after reading.”

Seongwoo casually leaned against the counter top, alabaster dainty fingers drumming along to the music as he watched Daniel pour his coffee. Daniel knew that he was blabbing and getting more looks because of it from Sora who was wiping the counters, but he couldn’t help it. He just got talkative when it came to Seongwoo, she knew that.

All the workers here knew, in fact, since they all switched days so that they could have some Saturdays off. It was only Daniel that volunteered to keep his Saturday shift, permanently. _Until Seongwoo gets married,_ he thought sadly, his smile turning into a frown as he paused in drawing something with the caramel on top of the white foam from the steamed milk.

Usually, since he knew that Seongwoo had rather childish tastes, he used his latte art skills to draw him cartoon characters. This week he had been practicing how to make Hello Kitty, since Seongwoo really resembled a cat. To distract himself from negative thoughts, he focused on finishing up the signature whiskers, nose and adding a ribbon.

“Oh, you liked that? It was random and short. I didn’t think it turned out that well. I was considering scrapping the whole thing. But scrapping my stories makes me feel like I’m abandoning puppies. Shu Shu I got at a shelter, actually. He was thrown out on the street because of a broken paw. Can you believe the audacity of some people?”

Daniel liked those moments he could see the sense of justice, charity, passion, and fiery spirit beyond his gentle, calm demeanor. Seongwoo was burning hot inside, it just took a certain sort of topic to coax it out.

“He was? Omo, poor little guy. Some people are so awful. I picked up my cats from shelters or on the streets.”

Seongwoo nodded in approval and Daniel squealed inside at saying the right thing. “Much better than paying loads for a pure blood from a pet store. I don’t support that industry.”

“Me neither. Did you see on the news?”

Seongwoo clapped his hands excitedly as he grasped what he meant and nodded vehemently.

Daniel was writing something on his cup. Another thing that he liked to do was write some things, funny jokes or inspirational quotes sometimes from Seongwoo’s own writings, on his cup. Seongwoo often took photos and uploaded it to his Instagram. Daniel knew that he was touched by it so he kept on going. He drew what he imagined Shu Shu looked like and jotted down a short quote from his story that he had liked.

Seongwoo was busy going on about his opinion on the exact news that Daniel had been referring to about the famous pet shop chain which had to shut down because they had been abusing and testing on the animals. Daniel nodded, glancing up at the animated, gorgeous man as he drew with a sharpie on the sleeve of his Americano.

“Here you go.”

“Hmm? Why is there two? Did I give you the wrong order?”

Seongwoo looked just like his kitten Ori Daniel thought as he cocked his head in confusion while staring at the plastic cup of brown liquid next to the red paper cup of warm, sweet liquid he had put forward. Next week, he would draw Ori for him on his cup he decided.

“I don’t think that you will like the Americano. So, I took the liberty of brewing your usual as well. Saving your taste buds from the bitter invasion.”

He beamed proudly, pushing the drinks forward and turning the side with the drawing in a way Seongwoo could better see since he hadn’t yet seemed to notice.

“Oh, thanks. But I only payed for one.”

Daniel put up his hands in refusal as Seongwoo got his credit card out again. “It’s on the house, obviously.”

“No, really. I should pay for it.”

“It’s just a kind gesture. Take one every here and there. You’re entitled since you are such a loyal customer. Sometimes we do that with our tip money. You’re not the only one. Today’s just your lucky day. I choose to use my tip money on you since I’m a fan of your inspiring stories.”

So e had fibbed just a little bit and he would probably get scolded later by his boss. Big whoop. It was worth it to do something nice for the writer. Seongwoo smiled gratefully, though he also appeared shy to accept the gift. He picked up the cups, pausing in the middle of leaving to look at the art and writing.

“You misspelled something, but thanks. It’s almost too pretty to eat or throw away. You really are an amazing artist,” he said warmly, looking up at Daniel who was apparently not very good at Korean.

They shared a moment, simply smiling, flushing, and almost shooting hearts through each other’s eyes. _Am I seriously just imagining these gay vibes though, I’m not sure with him,_ Daniel thought. Then, he was forced to tear his eyes away from his secret crush because a much uglier, irritated customer with a face that resembled a pug was waiting for him, tapping the toe of her shoe with impatience.

“What can I get for you, Miss?”

He missed the slight unpleasant sideways glance Seongwoo gave to the woman who was the new recipient of the blond, handsome barista’s blinding smiles and squinty, warm almond eyes.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

Daniel kept an eye on Seongwoo the next four hours he was there, half the time neglecting to do his work properly unless his coworkers nudged him. The first thirty minutes he spent writing in his notepad and sipping his coffee.

The expression during his first sip of Americano had been priceless. Daniel wished he had captured it on film. Seongwoo had scrunched up his face and stuck out his tongue for several seconds before glaring at the cup with his groomed, sharp eyebrows furrowed and muttering under his breath, “Ugh, so bitter.” After that, he had gone back and forth between a big sip of ‘bitter invasion’ Americano and two big sips of the super sweet caramel macchiato he preferred, his comfort zone. One second of sheer torture followed by several seconds of bliss—all written on his expressive, unique, practically mixed features.

Daniel chuckled as he watched it. It was like seeing his favorite movie; he just never got sick of watching some scenes. Seongwoo went to the bathroom, to wash up for his blind date. Daniel made sure his stuff wasn’t stolen.

For ten minutes after returning, Seongwoo just stared out the window, looking bored and a bit apprehensive, drumming his fingers and humming along to the music he had now likely had memorized since they were on repeat every Saturday just for him after he had once told Daniel he liked this playlist in particular. He had re-named it “Seongwoo’s faves” in his mind only. That was the look Seongwoo always got just before he had to meet the girls. That’s what made Daniel think that he was doing this because his parents insisted, not for himself. Though that didn’t mean that he didn’t like girls or was against dating them.

“Ah, that must be her. Candidate number twenty-seven.” That was seriously the number of girls Seongwoo had met since he started coming here. He didn’t know why, but the barista had kept count.

He could just tell by the look of the sexily dressed, long-haired girl with heavy make-up and a sparkly manicure that walked in. Seongwoo’s mother’s taste in women was so predictable. He didn’t even try to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Sora smacked his butt with a broom and then passed it to him while rolling her own eyes.

“Daniel, you’re so whipped. Go on and eavesdrop. I know you’re dying to. I’ll cover for you here.”

He beamed at her gratefully. “You’re a life saver. I’ll give you all my tips this month.”

“Yes!” she cheered cutely. “You promised with your own lips. No take-backs.”

He bopped his friend playfully on the head as he slipped out. Daniel swept the floors even underneath the chairs, staying within earshot of the date. The flow of the conversation worked like clock work with robots. He was easily able to predict and recite at the same time what the girl and Seongwoo would say. It was the usual routine.

First, they would bow, shake hands, and politely greet each other with fake, awkward, slightly nervous grins. Then, they would introduce their names, ages, and hometowns. Next would be casual conversation centering around weather and taste in movies, clothes, food, and music. They wouldn’t match up in many places, having hardly anything in common. That would be the first sign to the both of them that this wasn’t going to work out.

This time was no different. Daniel mouthed along to their words where he could as he absently swept.

“Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Ong Seongwoo. I am twenty-nine years old. My hometown is Incheon. Please sit down and get whatever drink you prefer.”

“Ah, Ong? Gong? Hong? What was it again?”

“No, not Gong or Hong. It’s simply Ong. O-N-G. It’s unusual I know.”

“Yes, it is. Unusual but special. Special name for a special man. You are really handsome. You look like a model. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“Ah, thank you. I’m just average though.”

Daniel snorted every time he heard that. Seongwoo was beyond average and he knew that. The only time he acted humble about his looks was at these dates. With Daniel, he almost bragged about it or just was like ‘I know.’ With Daniel, Seongwoo was much more his true self instead of the polite, proper, gentlemanly image his mother had raised him to have.

“It sure is getting hot these days. Do you like the Spring?”

“Actually, I have allergies. Hence, I prefer the autumn,” Daniel mouthed along with Seongwoo’s answer.

He liked autumn best as well for the same reason as Seongwoo would go on to state. “It’s cool and the foliage is like eye-candy. I enjoy going for walks or hiking then. Do you like hiking?”

“Er, hiking? Not so much. My stamina isn’t the greatest and I don’t like sweating.”

“Ah, I see. Sweating is good for the skin though. Clears out your pores. So, do you do any other kind of exercise?”

“Hmm, yoga? Jogging? Both not very often. I’m not much of a sporty person. I maintain my figure by dieting.”

“Oh, that must be hard. You have a great figure though so it appears to be working.”

“I do? You’re just saying that. Stop flirting, Seongwoo-ssi.” The girl laughed coyly and smacked his arm, clearly flirting hard core.

Daniel glared at her hand, snarling. How dare she just touch him like that and throw herself on a handsome guy in the first five minutes? The tramp knew no decency.

Seongwoo smirked, an incredibly sexy look on him. “I was being sincere though…”

After that, the serious questions that Seongwoo was trying to avoid for as long as possible would come.

“What do you do?”

“I’m a writer. How about you?”

“Oh, a writer? That’s interesting. You must be creative and sentimental then…”

“I guess so. I’ve been told that I’m sentimental and try to take it as a good thing. What do you do?”

“I work as a secretary at a fashion company.”

“Is it your passion?” “Oh, heavens no. Shopping is my passion. That’s the only reason I went there. Couldn’t do much else with my degree.”

They both laughed. Daniel could tell Seongwoo’s was just out of courtesy. It didn’t seem like he liked shallow girls who were doing jobs they didn’t really care about.

Daniel understood the feeling. He had also gone down the same road. Been there, done that. Had a shitty experience he didn’t envy the other and wouldn’t want to repeat. Finding a decent Korean woman you wanted to stick around with your whole life was like finding a needle in a hay stack.

His parents also had once pressured him to get married. He gave up on those blind dates long ago. He had gotten sick of Korean women who want the whole package and won’t budge on any of their wish list items (handsome, no smoking or drinking or gaming, fifty fifty on chores, can do some cooking, has a lot of money, has a decent good paying job with lots of benefits and mostly stable). They just wanted to get married and not work and spend half the day with their friends drinking coffee and shopping.

He didn’t believe in that. It just didn’t even seem fair or realistic. He would tear his hair out with a woman like that.

Why did he even have to get married? For kids? Kids were cute but he didn’t see himself as a father really either. Plus, they were expensive and time consuming. He would have to take another job and give up dancing, drawing, gaming and reading comics. He really detested the idea of that.

“So, a writer? Ah, that’s why you have the notepad. I haven’t heard of you, sorry to say. I would have recalled such a unique name. What do you write?” Her tone was just like the others—a tiny bit curious, mostly disappointed and just making conversation because it was a social norm.

Seongwoo was used to it, but couldn’t fully hide how he felt ashamed and uncomfortable being judged by his profession. In Korea, practicality, stability, money and credentials were important to the majority. It was considered as being responsible and mature. People who pursued the arts were heavily looked down on. Not many women wanted to take a risk marrying a guy that might have slumps and not be able to bring home a large slab bacon regularly, even though the idea of being married to someone potentially famous was tempting. Seongwoo wasn’t famous yet though. He was a very talented amateur with his following mostly online. Daniel didn’t expect the girl to be thrilled or understand or even give his writing a chance, so he wished for once that he would just not waste his breath.

“I write short stories and poems as an amateur. I’m not so well-known yet but I have had a collection published and I get paid through a website plus advertising. I make roughly 35,000 a year.”

“35,000, I see.”

The woman’s face was blank, her voice rather dull and tight. Because his salary wasn’t impressive and it didn’t seem like it was going to be increasing anytime soon. Daniel made even less than that and he got by though and honestly if they had dual income it was quite a lot.

“That’s still better than me. I would like to read it someday. Are you interested in investing? Money management?”

This was girls’ way of asking about if he had money saved up and flowing in regularly. That was next most important to fall back on if the ‘respectable job’ check couldn’t be completed. That way she could still stop working and do as she wanted after the wedding. Daniel mouthed along to what Seongwoo undoubtedly would respond with. The answer never changed.

“I’m not much interested. I’m not good with numbers. I’ve always sucked at math. Right now I’m saving money by subletting.”

That meant he was either living with his parents or renting not owning a house, he didn’t have much money, and he wasn’t great at accounting and making long term money plans. The girl he married would have to pitch in when buying a house and probably would have to keep a job and help with the management of their money. Most women didn’t like that. This woman wasn’t having it, catching on to his code.

In a down-trodden tone, she said, “Ah, you are renting and not good at saving money. So we would have to go halves on the wedding and first home. I see…Do you want children? If so, how many?”

Daniel paused, his head turning to look at Seongwoo. His back was stiff. He had gone frozen in shock. That was a question that never came up. Obviously with his job and salary, he couldn’t hope to have kids. It wasn’t a realistic idea considering how expensive they were.

“I live with my parents actually. We’re very close and family oriented. My mother wants me to have three to five.”

Daniel gasped behind his hand, just like the woman did. Seongwoo continued after laughing, glancing over at Daniel.

“I know, right? She’s nuts. It’s just that my last name is Ong. There’s only 700 some odd people with my name in the whole country. That’s why I’m certain you have never heard of it. She says it’s my duty as her only son to repopulate Korea with more Ongs. it’s my sovereignty.”

Daniel snickered at his joke. His mother was quite charming. The girl, on the other hand, didn’t find it very amusing. She half laughed and fake smiled, clearly overwhelmed and frightened by this information.

“Your mother…she’s something else.”

She was indeed, Daniel thought, but that girl didn’t mean it at all like a compliment. It seemed that she wanted no more than one child but was aiming for none. He stood up and wiped his hands, thinking ‘case closed.’ This blind date was kaputs and joining the ‘failed’ records like the rest. Daniel was curious about his family but he didn’t predict that Seongwoo would tell this particular person more about them.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

Within ten minutes, the girl was gone. Daniel scowled at the fact that she had not finished even half of her coffee. Daniel took a break to go to the bathroom and on his way, he stopped by Seongwoo’s table.

“Not the one, huh?” he commented with a bright smile as he took the cup.

Seongwoo shook his head vehemently with a frown. “Oh, definitely not.”

Daniel laughed as Seongwoo pretended to do some sort of ritual with his hands to ward off evil spirits in the direction of the door, going ‘be gone with you, twaenjang bitches,’ which was what Korean guys nicknamed girls like that. He reached over and patted Seongwoo on the shoulder.

Seongwoo paused in the middle of his quite excellent rendition of an exorcist in a movie Daniel had seen and looked at his hand and then him with a shocked expression. Daniel didn’t budge. Instead, he maintained the contact, rubbing his shoulder a bit. It was narrow and bony compared to his.

It was the first time that they had touched beyond their fingers. Daniel felt strangely bold today. Seongwoo seemed like he had been frightened by a ghost to the point that his soul had left his body.

“The next one will be better. Don’t give up hope just yet. There’s gotta be a girl out there that will fall for your good looks and charm and give you a shot no matter what your job is,” he encouraged.

Seongwoo finally smiled, his cheeks and ears flushing red at the compliment. “You really think so? I just don’t know anymore. It’s a never-ending cycle.”

Daniel didn’t think so, or at least he didn’t really want to. As he didn’t want Seongwoo to become taken and he didn’t want him to stop coming here. He lied though, to be supportive and cheer the distressed man up.

“I do think so. It takes some time. How many you seeing today?”

Seongwoo sighed and checked a memo in his phone and the time. “Two more…”

“You seem tired and stressed today. I’ll get you another cup once yours is gone. You look like you need it.”

Seongwoo’s head popped up in confusion. Daniel nearly choked on the air he was breathing he looked so adorable just then.

“Neh? No, no, I couldn’t accept that. You already paid for this one. I am not a completely broke amateur writer, I assure you. I can at least afford a few coffees on the weekend.”

Daniel was more stubborn. “The prices of coffee are up these days. It’s hard even for hard workers like yourself. Not like these girls are going to pay for your coffee or their own, right? Let me take care of it. I really enjoy your stories. Let me ease your thoughts of money issues a bit so you can focus better on writing between tortuous dates.”

Seongwoo was hesitating, biting on his thin, pink lower lip. Daniel’s expression was firm but always smiling. He couldn’t not smile around the man anyway. Well, his smile faded just slightly looking at that lip he wanted a nibble of for just a second but that was the only time.

“I really don’t want to impose…But you are really insistent about this, I see. Okay, but just one more, Daniel. That’s it.”

“Got it, Ongie. Just the one. Will you attempt Americano again to show the world how chic you are?” he asked with a playful tone, reaching for the empty plastic cups.

Seongwoo stern look turned adorable, making a hing face as he looked at the cup with disdain. “I made an attempt and that’s what I came here for. But, you know, I think that it’s not the color of what you are drinking that makes you cool…”

Daniel agreed, “Right. You look cool enough today all in black and with your hair like that. It suits you. The Americano is just overkill.”

Daniel dared a quick wink, a one-eyed squint really. He didn’t pull aegyo on any customers—only Seongwoo on occasions when he had the courage and was in the mood for it. He didn’t like thinking of himself as cute but any sort of flirting that might get a reaction out of the man was worth letting that hidden cute side of him show for just a moment.

Seongwoo covered his mouth as he laughed hard. That was because he was slightly conscious of his front teeth being crooked. Daniel had a similar charming flaw and did the same, though he wished the other wouldn’t because he loved seeing his gorgeous smile.

“Nice wink. I didn’t take you as the type.”

“I have lots of unpredictable sides you have yet to see. I’m a mysterious man. It’s customary to give one back.”

Seongwoo couldn’t stop grinning and bursting into giggles as he glanced up at him, his shoulder shaking a bit under his fingers. “A wink? That’s one of the few things I truly suck at. Along with games and math.”

 _It’s okay baby, I’m good at those things, I can do them for you no problem_ , Daniel thought with an amused, affectionate grin, never taking his eyes off that handsome face. “Eh~ Don’t be like that. It’s not fair. I even bought you two coffees.”

“You didn’t buy the other one yet, hey now!” Seongwoo pointed his finger and scrunched up his nose with a duck face.

Daniel looked down past his nose and his thoughts wandered. Did he have any idea how kissable he was on a daily basis? If there weren’t any people here right now and he was sure that Seongwoo was interested in men as well, he swore…

“Still. I’m going to. You should believe me. I’m always honest. Honest Dan.” He flashed a look of utter innocence, making use of his resemblance to a puppy with glistening eyes and a tilt of his head.

Just like he had hoped, it got Seongwoo to give in. Score for being born with a puppy face! Seongwoo attempted a wink but he had to move his head, eyebrows, and mouth along with it. It was a precious failure.

Daniel burst into raucous laughter, finally forced to take his hand off of Seongwoo’s shoulder to clap his hands as he almost keeled over. Seongwoo groaned, hiding in shame in the nest of his arms over the tabletop.

“That was epic. I’ll get you that coffee as you recover from humiliation. Dude, you seriously can’t wink though….”

With half the café staring at them because they had been quite noisy and it was weird to see a barista interacting in a friendly manner with a customer, Daniel finally made his way to the bathroom. It was nearly ten minutes since he had left the counter.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

“Omo, you’re so handsome. You seriously haven’t had surgery? Not even your nose?” Daniel mocked the second girl that Seongwoo was seeing.

She was the type to be look obsessed and in love at first sight. She kept touching Seongwoo and laughing with exaggeration at even the things that he hadn’t intended as a joke. He looked tense when she touched him and his smile didn’t reach up to his eyes like they did when he talked to Daniel, the barista noticed as he was putting lids on a group order of iced Americanos while peeking over at their table.

“Ah, I don’t believe in surgery. God made us that way for a reason. We are all beautiful in our own ways. So we should grow to accept what other’s even see as flaws. Life isn’t fun if we all look like some copy and paste doll.”

Daniel couldn’t agree more. He almost started clapping like after a play.

The girl winced and then fake laughed. “Right, right, you’re so right. And funny! Did I say that? I think you’re hilarious.” More exaggerated laughter followed.

Seongwoo half-smiled, his face showing signs of fatigue and being overwhelmed. He didn’t know how to deal with this girl, especially after she basically revealed that she was a plastic surgery doll. Daniel eyed her pretty face all over, pin-pointing where he was sure she had gotten work done—five spots there alone. Seongwoo clearly liked someone who was a natural beauty and was confident in herself. He wouldn’t want to date someone that lacked confidence and would take his money every other month to change something to be more ‘Gangnam’ style.

“You’re out, girl. Next. Calling candidate number twenty-nine,” Daniel mouthed quietly with a satisfied smirk.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

Seongwoo was almost done with his third cup of coffee. He was staring at his notebook and rubbing his temples. He looked incredibly annoyed and exhausted. Like he was just done with women and their shenanigans for the day. He still had one more date though.

Daniel was tempted to bring him another cup of coffee but he was worried about his stomach. Seongwoo liked sweet things, so he took him an orange ade full of vitamin C that would hopefully pick him up to get him through the rest of the day. This time, he put down the drink and sat down across from him on the other green and white sofa.

“That was rough.” Daniel grimaced like he was the one in pain after that girl and her shrill voice and awful, dolphin squeaking laughter.

“You saw?” Seongwoo looked up, still rubbing his temples.

“I always see. And hear. It’s hard not to with those sort of girls. Who comes to blind dates at a café anyway?” Daniel chuckled.

“If I do dinner, it lasts longer and it’s harder on my wallet. I can’t do it all in one day anyway. With band aids, it’s better to pull it all off at once as quick as you can, you know? It’s like that.”

“Meeting these girls is that painful, then? Why don’t you stop? It’s better if you can meet someone naturally.”

Seongwoo smiled bitterly and shook his head, fingers still working circles over his temples. Daniel was good at doing that for his mother who had chronic headaches—his fingers were itching to take his baby’s pain away.

“Sure it’s better, anyone would agree. I’m doing it for my parents. They don’t support my writing career but if I met a few girls and made an attempt to get married, they said that they at least wouldn’t kick me out of the house.”

“Oh, that’s harsh. So, leave on your own. Parents are over-rated and you’re nearing thirty. I think you could feed and wash yourself by now.”

“That I can, believe me. That’s not the issue. I’m not making enough money to support myself on my own and I don’t want to stop writing or take up a part-time job that would cut my time to do it.”

“You could get a roommate.”

“Good idea that I have considered. I have Shu Shu though. It will be hard to find a place that accepts pets with a person that likes them.”

“I like animals and I have them. I also have a spare room. My friend just moved away because his job changed. You can move in with me,” the barista blurted.

Seongwoo stopped fiddling with his fingers and stared up at him. Daniel was blushing but his face was serious.

“Hmm. Okay, I will think about it. I don’t think you’re a serial killer, at least.”

“Well, since I’m Honest Dan, I will confess that I do kill cereal by drowning it in milk. That’s about it,” he joked with a huge grin.

Seongwoo smiled and chuckled deep down in his throat. “For me? Another free drink? Thanks for the pick me ups. I really owe you. I don’t know why but today is really tough. I will keep your proposal in mind.”

Daniel nodded and pushed the drink towards him, praying that his blush wasn’t obvious under the concealer he had warn to look nicer this time. “Anytime. Just one more to go, hopefully your last. Fighting!”

Inside, Daniel was hoping though that it was the last because Seongwoo was going to find another failure walking through the door within the next hour and decide that he would rather just move in with the kind, flirty barista who gave him free drinks and loved animals. _Would it help if I told him that I had a crush on him, probably not, that’s getting way ahead of myself,_ Daniel thought as he went back to his counter.

Sora was shaking her head at him with her hands on her hips, mouthing, ‘Again? Seriously, dude!’ He blatantly waved and grinned at her, going ‘wassup?’ as if he had no clue what he could have done wrong.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

The last girl was different from the others. She was a short haired, smartly dressed girl who was a natural beauty and timid. She was a painter, a couple years younger than Seongwoo. Every question she asked and the ways she answered were different from the others previously. Daniel couldn’t predict how things were going to go with her.

Seongwoo looked at her as if she were a breath of fresh air and was engaged in their honest conversation flashing her a genuine, sweet smile. Daniel chewed on his lip and scrubbed at the tabletops furiously as he listened to them. His heart sank and his stomach nodded with jealousy and chagrin.

“Shall we meet again?”

“Yeah, I would like that.”

“It seems you like this café. I can see why. I like it too.”

“It’s got a nice vibe and the workers are friendly.”

 _You’re not allowed to like it, don’t like it, go away, I’m only going to be friendly to him, you I will treat like dirt, freaking IU look alike,_ Daniel muttered while slamming the chairs under the table. Seongwoo got startled and glanced his way, offering a little nod and sheepish smile, blushing again for some reason.

What did he have to be embarrassed for though? It was a good thing that he found someone he wanted to see a second time finally, wasn’t it? Well, for everyone except for Daniel it was. To Daniel who was acting uncharacteristically like a dick at this moment, it was like having the last candy he had his eyes on and been saving up for taken away just when he had arrived to buy it, right before his eyes no less.

Daniel sighed heavily as he went back to the counter, kicking a chair leg here and there in irritation. _I hate my freaking life. Why did I fall for a straight guy?_

~.~.~.~.~

Seongwoo came over around thirty minutes after the girl had left with a 10,000 won bill and a smile that was quite strange. It almost looked like he was apologetic, guilty, and grateful all at once. His expression was mixed and difficult to read. Daniel couldn’t bring himself to smile back as usual. He just looked at the bill lying still on the counter and sighed.

“You just couldn’t accept one gift?”

“No, not when I haven’t done anything to deserve it. I can’t take from your tips. I’m not paying the full amount back. I will take the first drink as a gift and the others, though I’m grateful for, I will politely decline with this refund. I just don’t like owing people, no offense, Daniel. Have a good night. See you next Saturday?” His tone lifted as if he was doubtful and scared that Daniel wouldn’t be around again.

The idea of dropping the next shift was tempting. He wasn’t sure he could take another perfect date occurring with the ‘love of his life who just didn’t know it’ right in front of his very eyes.

They stared across the counter at each other, one clearly down and the other looking apologetic and like he wanted to comfort him but wasn’t sure of what to say. Several seconds went by with neither of them moving or speaking, the only movement occurring being Daniel listlessly, reluctantly taking the bill on the counter. It was if their eyes were locked in order to delve deep inside and see the other’s thoughts.

 _If only mind reading were possible,_ Seongwoo thought. _Why do you look so sad? I miss your smile._

Daniel was thinking, _why are you not straight? Why can’t you catch on that I’ve been flirting with you hardcore and like me back? I feel like I’ll never be able to smile again but I should see you off with a smile because I have no right to be upset about it._

“Yeah, see you then. Have a good week.”

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

The next week, Seongwoo came in the afternoon with only two dates scheduled. He and Daniel had a normal, casual conversation at the counter, the jokes and smiles not coming quite as easily as before. Seongwoo was more talkative than he usually was, asking questions, acting bubbly, and being witty. He was trying to get the rather gloomy, distant seeming barista to smile, laugh, and look at him how he had before and make up for whatever wrong he had caused last week.

It eventually worked which eased Seongwoo’s mind. He thought that Daniel was upset because he had refunded some of the drinks last Saturday. He had had no idea that Daniel could become pouty over something small like that. It was a relief to see Daniel be more like himself. He was able to breathe normally again.

To be honest, there were lots of reasons he kept coming to this particular café for his dates. It had a nice vibe and interior and the coffee was decently priced. The real reason he was enticed back again and again though was for the ‘barista of the month ten months in a row’, Daniel himself.

Daniel had always been friendly, bubbly, talkative, kind, considerate and took an extra effort to know his customers personally and make them feel welcome. He thought that Daniel was like that with all his customers, just that he hadn’t seen any locals that happened to come on Saturday or maybe he had missed it. He had no clue that Daniel was special to him alone so he obviously had no clue that he did it because he had a crush on him.

In actuality, Seongwoo was gay as well, which was one of the many reasons these dates weren’t going anywhere. He felt that if a guy like Daniel ever confessed to liking him, he could even give up living with his family who wanted him to get married and have kids because they didn’t know that the reason he hadn’t had a girlfriend in years was because his orientation had changed. He wasn’t planning on getting married to a woman unless she agreed to cover up his secret gay life as he pursued a boyfriend he truly loved. These blind dates were just a temporary fix to an issue he had had a long time coming and was still wondering how he could solve with minimal hurt to his parents.

Those complicated thoughts and his worries about how to make a living while still pursuing his writing always faded far to the background whenever he was around Daniel. His coffee gave him energy, his words gave him strength, his gorgeous, sunshine like smile gave him healing. Saturdays were precious because of Daniel and thus he kept coming back here to get the essential vitamins he needed to get through the rest of the week. He was addicted to coming here and wasn’t ready to give that up, so he planned on doing whatever he had to get back into the barista’s good graces.

Daniel wrote a funny message on his caramel macchiato cup and drew a cat named Ori he said was his own and he thought Seongwoo resembled. Seongwoo attempted to flirt back with him this time and even dared to touch his hand while observing a small cut he had gotten from a broken plastic cup while cleaning up. Daniel had turned cherry red and chewed hard on his plush lower lip, affected by Seongwoo initiating skin ship for the first time.

Seongwoo told him that he had two blind dates today. Daniel remembered that the girl he had gotten along well with was supposed to come today and wished him good luck but there was a false ring in his voice. Seongwoo wondered if he wanted the dates to actually fail so he would keep coming to the café to give them money or if it was because he wanted Seongwoo to remain single. He secretly hoped for the later, thinking he didn’t care so much if that date fell through. For a girl, Sakura was nice but she was no Daniel, after all.

“I would rather not date now, to be honest. My family and living situation have put me in a hard place. Well, it’s not likely that things are going to well with my track record,” he somehow felt like it was necessary to say this to comfort the other, maybe set his restless mind at ease.

Daniel’s smile came a bit easier and wider. It was clear he liked that idea. He really didn’t want Seongwoo and this girl to work out, did he?

Seongwoo chuckled as he eyed him up and down, thinking Daniel was a perfect package that he wanted to put in his shopping cart and buy immediately before it went out of stock. He was talented, funny, smart, sweet, handsome, cute, considerate, caring…He could literally list Daniel’s lovable traits out in his notebook and the pages wouldn’t be nearly enough.

“I’m sure things will go well. Just don’t spill your coffee on her like the other week, clumsy Ongcheongie.”

Seongwoo flushed and looked down with a chagrined laugh as he recalled that embarrassing incident. He had prayed that Daniel hadn’t seen that but of course he had and had teased him about it several times already.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

Daniel’s smile was soft as the cotton scent of his perfume, his head turning to the side just like a curious puppy would. Just like his Shu Shu. _Could a man be more handsome yet adorable at the same time, shouldn’t he at least choose one side a day to show off and spare people from heart attacks,_ Seongwoo wondered with an inward, fangirl like squeal.

“For the coffee, of course. You make it the best. It always makes me feel so energetic.”

“Energetic? Ah, well, that’s good. Energetic is a cool word…”

They were speaking in English. Daniel liked to show off his English ability here and there. Seongwoo didn’t really mind. He thought Daniel’s English voice was incredibly sexy.

“Later.”

“If you need something, you know where to find me.”

“Have the second one ready in an hour then, please.”

Seongwoo smiled over his shoulder as he walked away with his drink to his usual table.

“Gotcha. Gotta catch em all, pokemon!” he sang, showing how odd he was for the world to see. Seongwoo chuckled and shook his head as he went to his corner table.

“What a dorky, cute kid. I bet he’d be a blast to date…”

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

The first date went terribly. It didn’t even last five minutes. The girl just left after finding out he wrote for a living because she didn’t consider sensitive guys to be manly. She even laughed after reading one of the poems he had written. Daniel was tempting to bump into her outside and dump an iced Americano on top of her head. What a bitch she was, and he didn’t use that word lightly in his life because his mother taught him decent manners and respect for women.

He brought out Seongwoo’s cup and they chatted about a story he was working on starting from this week, not even feeling that nasty girl deserved a moment more of their thoughts. Seongwoo wanted his advice since he was a loyal reader. They discussed about the area he was stuck on and Daniel gave him his humble suggestions about how to make one of his characters more likable and fleshed out.

Seongwoo stayed at the café much later than usual. That girl was late was the reason as it turned out. She had stood him up it would seem. Daniel felt bad for Seongwoo and considered that it was the girl’s loss and she must be insane to stand up the most perfect man in existence.

Seongwoo was packing up to leave, sighing with an irritated expression. Daniel was on his way to cheer him up, not liking to see Seongwoo upset for a minute more. The bells rang, signaling a new customer. Their eyes went that way. It was the IU lookalike. Daniel almost cursed aloud at the sight of her looking cute as a button and practically sparkling.

She hurried over to Seongwoo, bowing and apologizing. Daniel hadn’t wanted to eavesdrop but he was already close by and curious. He froze, his heart sinking, hearing their conversation and seeing things clearly which he really hadn’t wanted. It was like watching a drama being filmed.

_Well, if I’m in it, I guess I’m the side, underdog character that doesn’t get the main guy despite loving him longer and being more suitable, right…_

“I’m really sorry. I forgot to tell you. I really should have said something earlier. I met someone else. Someone I think I really love. I’m sorry, very sorry. I hope that you won’t be upset. Good luck finding someone.”

“Ah, was that so? Ah, someone you love. Must be nice. Good luck then. Bye.”

Seongwoo sounded sad but his expression was hard to read. Daniel figured he was just putting on a poker face to protect his manly pride. The girl bowed a few more times and Seongwoo merely waved back. Then, she left, leaving both of them awkwardly standing there, watching her go.

Daniel didn’t know what to say because it had happened all of a sudden. The whole situation just came and went like the wind—or more like a tornado really. He wanted to whoop for joy but propriety wouldn’t allow him to do so in this situation. Seongwoo might have liked that girl and his pride was likely to be hurt.

“Ah, well, that’s a bummer. She should have told you early on in the week. Wasting your time and making you wait like that. Don’t worry. There’s still plenty of fish in the sea.”

Daniel patted his back with an encouraging tone. Seongwoo was silent for a while, staring at the door. Daniel was worried about him, still unable to read his expression.

“Hey, you liked her that much after just one meeting? She probably wasn’t even all that great. She looks like she’d suck in bed for one. Tell you what. I’m going to close up in an hour. Let me take you out for a drink. The best way to get over a girl is to have a beer and a couple shots of soju to forget all about it. Trust me. You will feel totally better.”

Seongwoo looked at him and smiled slightly. “Sure, a drink sounds pretty darn good right now.”

Daniel led him to the table and gently pushed him down into the chair, patting his shoulder and stroking his head like he was a kitten. “Wait right here and relax. I’ll be done in no time.”

Daniel hurried to get the café cleaned up since there were no other customers currently and his coworkers had also gone home. He was tempted to just say ‘fuck it’ and leave the rest for the morning crew but there was a chance he could get in trouble with the boss, being the manager and all so he decided not to risk it. It would be hard to meet Seongwoo if he got fired from here, unless he managed to get his number tonight. He kept a curious, concerned eye on the writer as he cleaned up.

Seongwoo went from seeming upset to being relieved and then to just bored, his notebook left open and blank on the table, forgotten as he stared out the window and drummed on the table. Daniel managed to do an hours’ worth of work with lightning speed into thirty minutes only, silently clapping himself on the back.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

Seongwoo jumped up and nearly tripped over the chair leg as the barista startled him. Daniel helped him up, calling him a scaredy cat.

“Shall we get going? You look bored to death. You didn’t write much at all. Stuck again?”

Seongwoo absently looked at his notebook, playing with his hair which was soft and curled today, his glasses tucked into the white, purple, and pink striped shirt he was wearing, smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess I’m not in much of a writing mood today. I think it’s because my condition’s not so good.”

Daniel pouted, touching his forehead. “That’s no good. It has been raining a lot since yesterday too. You sure it’s not just because you liked her?”

“I know. I kept getting drenched because I lost my umbrella. And as for the girl, I think I’ll be over it soon. I didn’t like her all that much…”

Daniel couldn’t resist pinching his pale cheek and pulling it. The writer’s skin was surprisingly elastic. “That’s good to hear, except about the umbrella thing. You didn’t buy another one? Aigoo, this Ongcheongie. Don’t tell me you’re broke from buying coffees? That’s why I said let me treat you with my tip money here and there.”

“No, I just kept forgetting. I’m not that poor, as I keep telling you.” The writer flushed and touched his cheek with a cute scrunched up duck face of offense.

“Alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing you since you’ve just suffered rejection. Sorry that I made you wait so long. Let’s go get drunk.”

“It wasn’t long at all though. You were like Flash there. Why did you do that?”

Daniel paused on his way to the door, lightly gripping Seongwoo’s wrist which he hadn’t even done on purpose this time. Touching Seongwoo felt natural as if a gate had come down between them since the previous week. He felt like they grew closer over the weeks and he wanted to be physically closer as well.

“What do you mean? I cleaned up because it’s my job.”

Daniel laughed softly, thinking Seongwoo’s dorky charms were addicting. He could never get enough of him. Every weekend he just fell more and more in love. It felt like heaven just to be talking to him with no one around and no set time limit.

Even if Seongwoo was straight, so what. Even if someday Seongwoo was likely to meet his future wife here, so what. He could at least keep liking him and get close to him as a friend like this. It was pleasant actually, not so painful. As long as he was still single and was with no girls in sight.

“I mean. Why do you do this for someone like me? A stranger? You didn’t need to clean up so fast or even take me out for a drink after a long day at work, even on the weekend when you should be meeting up with your friends.”

Seongwoo flushed, chewing on his lip and playing with his hair again, blinking down at the floor. Daniel’s fingers and lips moved of their own accord, as if he were possessed.

He put his finger under Seongwoo’s chin, forcing him gently to lift his head and blurted, “Because I like you. I don’t like seeing the person I like being sad. Making him feel better is more important than seeing friends or resting at home. That’s why.”

Time seemed to stop as they looked at each other, Seongwoo’s mouth parted and his pretty doe eyes wide as the moon. The only sound was their breathing, their racing heartbeats, and the drizzling rain outside.

“P-pardon? You…like me?” he repeated in a soft, breathy tone, stunned and doubting his ears.

“Hmm-hmm, I do…”

Gradually, Seongwoo’s kittin lips curved upward minutely until the tiniest, adorable dimples appeared in his fluffy, pearly white cheeks. It was a kodak moment that made Daniel again wish that he could capture on film. It would ruin the moment though to take out his phone and he was frozen with anxiety, scared to death of how Seongwoo would react. The supposedly straight man who had just been rejected by a girl that he had seemed to like after weeks of meeting girls with the intention of possibly getting married someday. That he confessed to out of the blue right before they were going to hang out for the first time.

He was crazy. This was nuts. What had he done? This moment was at the top of the list of ‘stupid shit that Daniel’s done to sabotage his perfect opportunities’. The cat was out of the bag though, nothing he could do about it. He wasn’t the sort that would take back what he said either.

“You like me?” Seongwoo repeated once more, this time with a hopeful, happy, louder tone.

Daniel released a little chuckle. “Yes, for the third time, you deaf dum-dum. I like you. I have liked you since weeks and weeks ago. You should get an Oscar of Dense for not noticing it since I’ve been extremely obvious, all my coworkers and likely half the regular customers know. Will you give me an inkling of what you’re thinking right now before I go into cardiac arrest, Ongie?” Daniel asked with slight frustration but mostly amusement.

“I like you too, Daniel.”

“Neh? Come again?” Now it was Daniel’s turn to gape.

Seongwoo closed the barista’s mouth and ran his hands across his jaw, taking a step closer and smiling sweetly, his gaze turning loving and amused. “I have liked you for weeks too. I could have gone to any other place, but why did you think I came here constantly? It was for you, silly. You made me feel calm and happy. You were like an escape and an inspiration for my poems. Your coffee was also a lifesaver. It gave me the energy to get through those awful dates and my week. I’m gay, Daniel.”

“Neh? But you were meeting girls to get married to and—Neh?”

Daniel couldn’t wrap his mind around any of it. It all seemed like a dream come true. He had to have been hearing wrong. It was too simple that he accidentally confessed and then Seongwoo just confessed that he was gay and the previous dates hadn’t meant anything all along and he had liked him this whole time and been coming here actually to see him.

“I know it’s hard to believe. I explained about my parents. It’s complicated. But I don’t want to get married. I have no intention to. Not if I can have you. You’re the one I want. You’re the one I came to see every Saturday, not those girls. You’re probably the reason no-one worked out, in the end. Try and believe it,” Seongwoo whispered as he caressed the dumbfounded barista’s cheeks and stared at his supple lips, dangerously close.

Daniel’s heart was racing out of control and he was at a loss for words but he wanted to kiss the other terribly in that moment. Dream or not.

“I want to but it’s sudden so I’m having a hard time believing. To think you like me, wah…” Daniel drawled, his Busan accent coming out thick by accident. “Ong Seongwoo liking some barista…”

Seongwoo chuckled, finding his accent charming and hoping that he had a million more surprise moments with which to hear it over the following days. “I will get you to believe it soon. Maybe words just aren’t enough for once.”

Seongwoo closed his eyes and boldly breached the gap between them. Daniel held his breath as their lips came together, his shaky hands moving around Seongwoo’s slim, curvy waist. He crushed the man close in a warm, cozy embrace as he turned his head and kissed him back sweetly. Seongwoo wrapped his arms around his neck and hugged him tight, kissing him again and again ever so slow and gentle. Everything in that moment was perfect and their affectionate, caring touches gave the barista and the writer energy that no amount of espresso ever could.

That was how the two known amongst the baristas at Closer as the ‘café something couple’ Daniel and Seongwoo became official.

 

~.~.~.~.~

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I did this prompt justice, though I know it wasn't exactly the way it was supposed to go(?). I took some liberties and let the story flow its own way. Sorry it ended up so long hahaha. Not betaed, so could be typos, please excuse. I had a lot of fun with this prompt (actually it's my first attempt ever...). Looking forward to your thoughts and seeing other fics. Have a great day ^^ Oh, and if you haven't tried Ong's fav drink, I highly recommend!! It's my absolute fav!


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